Universal mounting devices are known for providing a positionable mounting platform in and on different industrial and commercial platforms, including floors, walls, work bench surfaces, and vehicles. These universally positionable mounting platforms are typically structured to support a wide variety of tools and other mobile devices too heavy for conventional mounting devices of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,885. However secure such known conventional mounting platforms are, to date these positionable mounting platforms have been known to be limited in load carrying capabilities.
FIG. 1, for example, illustrates one such universal mounting device 1 that provides positionable mounting platform 2. As shown here and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,885, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, universal mounting device 1 is founded on a base 3 that is secured to a fixed surface with a quantity of screws or other fasteners 4. A partial sphere 5 of resiliently compressible material is presented on a post 6 for access by a pair of clamping arms 7 that together form a socket that is positionally secured relative to the partial sphere 5 when a clamping mechanism 8 is tightened. The positionable mounting platform 2 is presented on a second sphere 9 of resiliently compressible material that is captured in a second socket formed at the opposite end of the clamping arms 7 and relatively positionally secured by increased tightening of the clamping mechanism 8. The positionable mounting platform 2 (shown without features) is optionally structured to support any of the above variety of mobile devices or another device or structure of the user's choice.
However, the universally positionable mounting platform shown here and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,885 would have to be of ungainly size to support some very large loads, for example, loads applied at the end of a two or three foot lever arm. Therefore, a novel mechanical mounting device for supporting such extreme loads is desirable.